


The One The Left Behind

by ShipersAnonymous



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Timelines, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, Angst, F/M, Family Drama, Romance, Sibling Rivalry, Speed Force
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-22
Updated: 2020-12-01
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:00:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23249641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShipersAnonymous/pseuds/ShipersAnonymous
Summary: A Flash fan fiction ❤️By ShipersAnonymous and Annacarina2....I remember.I remember it all. In flashes of red. The agony. The betrayal. The sound of my heart breaking. The silence as they each forgot about me.As they left me behind.I remember. And I don't intend to forgive.
Relationships: Barry Allen & Eobard Thawne | Harrison Wells, Barry Allen & Iris West
Comments: 6
Kudos: 7





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [annacarina2](https://archiveofourown.org/users/annacarina2/gifts).



> A-hoy there shippers!
> 
> So I've been biting my tongue to keep this in cause I'm terrible at keeping secrets! But it's finally here!
> 
> I can't tell you how over the moon I am at this collaboration with annacarina2 who trusted me enough with her thoughts and let me put them into words.
> 
> I've never done anything like this before and this story has so much it's a challenge to find out which angle is better suited to tell the story (their all so good!). I hope that together we can do the story justice and hope that you enjoy it!
> 
> We've mixed a little Godly mythology (by that I mean we used a few names here and there) into this with a bit of romance, a lot of familial drama and a splash of angst! It's a Barry/Eobard fic but to my shippers out there don't worry West-Allen will still form apart of this wild mix!
> 
> To my lovely co-author, thank you a million times over for sharing your imagination with me and believing in my skills enough to let me copilot. I look forward to reaching our destination but I'm stoked for the journey we're embarking on! 
> 
> All aboard!!!
> 
> XOXO  
> 💜🖤

_His chubby fingers curled over the bar of gold that formed part of the crib’s frame. With curious eyes, he lifted himself onto the tips of his toes and peered inside. A flushed face, wrinkled and topped with a thin sheet of glossy, auburn hair, rested soundly against the mattress. The creature looked so small and fragile, like if he reached in hard enough he could hold its head between his infantile hands and squeeze with enough pressure to make it burst._

_He smiled at the malevolent thought._

_As if sensing his darkened intent, the babe’s lips trembled before a holler, loud and panicked pushed out of them._

_Strong voice for such a tiny thing._  
_His mother came rushing in, the worry in her eye unmistakable, fuelling his hatred. She swooped the hollering child into her arms and pressed it against her bosom. With the honey milk voice she used to reserve just for him, a song echoed from her chest and ruffled the clouds that they called home. The love in each note pronounced. The admiration and affection clear in each word._  
_The lullaby breaking his heart._  
_He shuffled to his mother’s side with his head hung in sadness. With the gentleness mastered only by a child, he tugged at her skirt for attention._

_“Ami?” he called, a name he’d lovingly kept from his days as a babbling infant learning to speak, but his call went unanswered. Her attention had been captured by the creature that now laid still in her embrace._  
_The embrace stolen from him._

_“Ami?” he tried again and this time her gaze turned towards him, her body continued its gentle sway as she danced with the little god._

_“Achilles, my sweet, hush a moment and let mama put Apollo to sleep.” she pleaded softly, the affection in her golden eyes shining through like the rays of the rising sun. He could never deny her a wish when she smiled at him so warmly. So he swallowed down his pride with hopes that his good behaviour would win her favour enough for him to keep her love. As she carried on singing and swaying, he diligently held on to her skirt._  
_His tiny palm began to sweat and he tightened his grip. His unripe muscles thumped with a dull ache and stiffness, yet little Achilles persisted._  
_He was too afraid to let go._  
_At last she replaced the child in its bed of gold and turned her full attention onto him. His heart beat hopeful that his determination had paid off and when she smiled down at him he reached out his arms, begging her to pick him up. Needing to be encapsulated by her warmth, reassured that he hadn’t lost her. Instead she knelt down before him and drew him in for a hug._

_“My sweet, sweet Achilles. I’m afraid I no longer poses the strength to carry you like I used to. You’ve grown so much,” she says once they pull apart and her eyes sparkle with a gleam of sadness, coloured by a hint of maternal pride. But little Achilles, small as he was, failed to read the emotion on her face and simply attached meaning to her words._  
_Was he now too big because she had a smaller model to compare him too? Was she now too weak because her strength had been exhausted on the creature that lay fast asleep in his crib? Regardless of the reason, there was a single common thread in both explanations._

Apollo.

_This fiend he had to call brother had stolen from him the one thing he treasured most. The one fortune the stars had granted him. The love of his mother. He could feel it in the core of his very being._

_“Iris!” his father’s thunderous voice boomed from a distance and she turned her head towards the sound._

_“In a minute my lord,” she called back._

_“Your father is in need of me, I must make haste. I plead thee, Achilles, do not wake thy brother,” she asked and he nodded._

_As a reward for his compliance he received a kiss on the forehead before his mother took her leave. He waited till he was truly alone and approached the sleeping babe. Peering into the cot once again, he was filled with a dark determination to see his beloved mother rid of the parasite that harmed her so. With no one there to bare witness his eyes flickered a deep red and the corners of his lips turned up into a grin that rid his childish face of all its innocence. The old woman had warned him that the child that grew within his mother would bring nothing but misery. If she was right about that she must have been right about his quest._

_It was his destiny to save his Ami. To rid the heavens of the abomination that shared his father’s blood with him. To be a hero that only a son of Zeus could be. As the seed planted itself into his naïve little heart and took root, the red glow died out of his eyes but it did not disappear completely. It simply slumbered behind the hazel of his irises, awakening each time he laid eyes on his bother._

* * *

The red in his eyes glows brighter than ever before as Eobard, triumphantly gazes down at a semi-conscious Barry. The loud roar of thunder drowns out Barry’s pained whimpers but the grimace on his bloody and bruised features is enough to appease Thawne’s sadistic hunger for the time being.

The blood stained rain drops, drip from his fingers to pool at his feet where it joins the river of red streaming from Barry, whose breaths are shallow. Each inhale agonising as it vibrates through his shattered ribs. Each exhale bringing him closer to his end.

Barry’s vision is blurred from the swelling of his eyes and bloody rain that wets his lashes, and yet he can still make out the haunting red orbs that glow like demon flashlights.

“W-Why?” he manages to whisper, searching for closure. A reason for his sudden and unjustified demise. Eobard let’s out a spine chilling cackle that slices through the night air, bleeding into the symphony of the storm.

“Poor, unsuspecting fool,” he spits.

“So **naïve**!” he punctuates his point with a kick to Barry’s side. The young man groans out in pain, a soft, tortured sound as he is too weak to scream.

“So **unaware** …” another kick.

“…Of the gift you’ve been granted. The honour bestowed upon you. So unworthy of the blood of Zeus.” A sneer of disgust crosses his lips as he gazes down at the weak, trembling figure at his feet. The thought that he is somehow connected to the whimpering mess, shames him. It dulls the glory of the Godly name bestowed upon him.

“Your existence is a mistake! A universal miscalculation. An error bound to bring misery to who’s ever path you cross.” Eobard sneers as he takes the two steps needed to close the distance his kicks had opened between them. Barry simply lays on his back, barely conscious, his eyes closed, his mind flipping through his memories with Iris to help ease his physical pain.

Her smile. Her touch. The sweet smell of her skin. The softness of her lips. The feel of her hair between his fingers. The lively sparkle in her eyes.

“But I intend to fix that.” Thawne declares as he sinks down on one knee and violently grabs Barry by the collar. The brisk movement sends a shock wave of pain through the injured boy’s body and forces his eyes to open as much as the swelling will allow.

Fear slithers into his heart.

“It’s why I was born. My destiny. And believe me when I say….”  
Thawne holds his free hand up for Barry to see and though his vision is still impaired, Barry hears the moment his hand begins to vibrate. It’s a gut twisting sound that creeps into his bones and paralyses him. He’s never heard it before but something in him recognises it as a bad omen.

Death is coming.

“… that I’m going to enjoy the honour of ending your worthless life.” An evil smile of satisfaction thins Thawne’s lips as the prospect of his victory gives him the last bit of strength he needs.  
A bolt of lightning lights up the sky with the brilliance of stadium lights.  
A thunder clap, deafening like the roar of a mighty lion, rattles the wet earth.

Thawne, oblivious to it all, begins to lower his deadly hand onto Barry’s chest.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: None of this is based on actual Greek mythology exactly, just the names were used.
> 
> We (myself and my lovely co-author @annacarina2) really hope you enjoy it!
> 
> Cliffhanger warnings apply😘
> 
> XOXO
> 
> P. S. The bedroom scene referred to is the 1st half of the prologue. 😘

* * *

“Barry! Time for bed!” Nora announces as she comes into the living room from the kitchen, only to find that the area is deserted. She hears the thump-thump of little footsteps above her and chuckles to herself as she carries the glass of warm milk up to her son’s room.

“Barry.” She sings out as she pushes open the door and finds his smiling face, bright and green eyed, eagerly waiting for her.

“Well would you look at that, you’ve already picked out a bedtime story,” she remarks, noting the book clasped in his little hands. He nods with excitement and holds it up for her to see the cover.

_Sons of Zeus_

“Are you sure you want to read this one again tonight?” Nora asks sceptically as her son’s obsession with the Supernatural past makes her a little uneasy. Barry nods in confirmation.

“Can we? please?” he asks so sweetly that she can’t help but smile.

“Of course my beautiful boy.” She answers setting the milk down on the bedside table and taking the book from him. Nora settles down beside her son and Barry rests his head on her chest as she wraps her arms around him and begins to read…

_Once upon a time_

_In a land beyond the clouds._

_There lived a mighty God by the name of Zeus. His power surpassed that of any other and this, when combined with his great inclination for leadership and kind heart granted him the title of ruler of the realm of light. His power resided in the deadly brilliance of lightning, a gift he generously shared with his two sons:_

_Achilles and Apollo._

_Along with his radiant and brave queen, Iris, Zeus did his best to bestow upon his children the virtues of love, kindness, humility and courage but this was a task that proved challenging even for the most powerful of Gods._   
_You see, mere days before his brother’s birth, Achilles found himself entranced by the sharp tongue of an elderly sorceress who drew him out with a promise of adventure. It was there, in the vast blue, with the son completing its journey around the earth beneath them, that this vixen of the unknown soiled the naïve soul’s mind with hateful notions. Insinuations that his mother’s love could not be shared, that his brother would be the end of his family._

_Her words were tainted with a thirst for revenge that poor Achilles, young as he was, could not as yet point out and with an innocence common to one so green, he fell for her every word. His little heart was consumed by a fear of loss and upon his brother’s arrival the damage had been done and the seed of hatred nestled warmly within his tiny heart…_

Nora looked down at a softly snoring Barry and smiled, relieved that she would not have to re-read the dreadful nursery scene to her ten year old son. Truthfully she didn’t want to have to relive that horror. As gently as she possibly could, she lifted herself off of the bed and tucked him in, giving him a soft kiss goodnight before turning on his night light. With a final look back she turned the rooms light off and left the door ajar behind her. As she reached the bottom of the stairs the front door opened and in walked her husband.   
Well, a part of him anyway.   
Henry smiled at her though his eyes betrayed his exhaustion and Nora reached for his brief case as she leaned in for a ‘welcome home’ kiss.

“Long day?” she asked as he took her empty hand in his and let her lead him to the living room.

“The longest.” He admitted and brought their hands up to his lips to kiss the back of hers.

“How’s our little slugger?” he asked, nodding in the general direction of the stairs.

“Fast asleep. I just put him down.” She smiled as she let go of his hand and walked to the dining room table to put his briefcase down on one of the chairs. She knew her husband well and tired or not he’d be staying up a little later, after the street completely quieted down and the neighbours were all asleep, to do some work. A lawyer’s job is just never done.

“I’ll go say goodnight,” he answered with a tone that was both soft from exhaustion and energised with his love for his son. Nora offered him, her usual heart-warming smile as a ‘go ahead’ before he made his way to the stairs. A few seconds later a thump rang in her ears followed by her husbands muffled cry of agony.

“Henry?” she questioned as she rounded the wall to see her husband bent over, one hand on the railing to hold him up and the other clutching his heart. She knew instantly that something was terribly wrong. 

“Honey? Speak to me honey what’s going on?”

Her urgency was met with harsh breathing. His eyes widened as the wheezing grew louder. Then suddenly…

It stopped.

Henry stilled in her arms and the light of life vanished from his panicked eyes, frozen open in death. Nora felt the blood in her veins run cold and her mind began to buzz as adrenaline flooded her system.

He can’t be dead. Not unless….

Her eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets as realisation kicked in and without a second breath she abandoned Henry’s lifeless body and took the stairs two at a time.

“Barry!” She yelled, desperate to wake her son but just as she reached his door she froze, her body overwhelmed by an unknown force. She felt herself burning from the inside out and yelled out in pain.

“Mom!” came Barry’s frightened cry and through her misty eyes she could see his little face stained with fearful tears. A loud ringing echoed in her ears and her head began to pound violently. Nora braced herself against the door frame, shutting her eyes against the sudden wave of pain that flooded her body. She wanted to yell. To tell Barry to run, but she could barely breathe, let alone string together a sentence.

She felt her body give in.

She felt her eyes roll to the back of her head.

She felt her body hit the ground.

She felt her soul depart.

She opened her eyes and she was Nora no more.

She had returned to her true form. The form that was all powerful.   
The form that bore the name:

_Iris_.

Her long hair, like threaded sunlight, rolled down her back to her waist. Her cloud like skin, soft and pail, seemed to glisten as if coated with the finest layer of glitter. The white dress, resembling ancient Greek attire, seemed to melt into the mist that floated lightly above the clouds that she called home.

But home it was far from.

Around her a show of lightning took place. Concealing the normally clear and infinite blue was a chaotic painting of bolts, lightning bolts, zipping about in all manner of directions. And in the middle of it all stood her eldest son, hovering over the quickly fading body of her husband.

Iris covered her mouth with the palm of her hand, muffling out her cry as the last remnants of the all mighty Zeus dissolved into a string of sparks that swirled into the air, disappearing soon after like ashes scattered in the wind.

She felt the last of his essence soak into her, feeding her all his power, every last drop.

And then he was gone.

Zeus was no more.

_He lives on. In me!_

She thought to herself, her eyes now focusing on the back she rubbed so gently in an attempt to ease the growing pains.

“What have you done?” She asked, her voice soft with disbelief. He didn’t stir.

“Achilles! What have you done!” She screamed, a thunderous noise that echoed out into the distance. Her son turned around to face her and she realised in that instant that, that was not Achilles. His eyes glowed a gut twisting red, like laser beams on a snipers rifle, aimed for the kill.

“Achilles?” her motherly heart called out, clinging to the hope that he might still be within reach, but his stare remained. Cold and fixed. His features were unmoving, set on an expression of pure malice. Of evil. Though her power granted her the luxury of fearlessness her heart still trembled out of love for her youngest son.

“Mommy!” Barry’s cry rose to them and she knew that Achilles had heard it too when his lips contorted into a devilish grin. A bolt of lighting fell, striking him where he stood, and just like that he vanished.

But she knew where he was going.   
With all the strength she had, she compressed her abilities as much as she could, folding into herself until her aura was weak enough to inhabit a mortal body. Iris returned to her human form, taking a loud, deep breath once she resurfaced as Nora with Barry’s teary face buried in her chest.

“Shh, shh, shh. It’s OK. I’m here. I’m here.” She tried to calm him down as his sobs shook his entire body. Her head pounded with a raging migraine and she knew that she couldn’t stay in this form much longer. She had to get Barry somewhere safe.

“Barry baby listen to me.” She said with a gentle sternness as she wiped the tears from his cheeks and cupped his face.

“Listen to me we need to get out of here OK? Mommy doesn’t have time to explain right now but I need you to hold my hand and run OK? Don’t look back and don’t stop for any reason alright baby?” She asked and he nodded in her hands. Nora planted a quick kiss on his forehead then stood up and took hold of his hand.

“Alright. Come on.” She said as she took off towards the stairs, dashing down as fast as Barry’s childish legs would allow. As they approached Henry’s body, she felt her son give her hand a squeeze and she knew then that in her moment of unconsciousness Barry had made the horrifying discovery. Her heart ached as she imagined his fear and grief at the thought that he might be alone.   
They reached the door and she swung it open, gasping when she came face to face with Achilles.

He had found them.

Despite her restricting herself into that suit of flesh in an attempt to camouflage herself, he’d tracked them down. Instinctively she pulled Barry behind her, acting as a human shield.

“Achilles, please,” she begged, her voice barely above a whisper. His head tilted to the side, his eyes still red as he had retained his godly form.

“Please. I beg you. Don’t hurt him.” She pleaded once again. But it was no use. Achilles flung her to the side with a single, unpredictable, slap to the face leaving a trembling Barry staring up at him, paralysed by shock. The apparition lifted his hand, his palm facing Barry, as he planned his final strike.

“Run, Barry! Run!” Nora yelled, gathering what strength was still left in that broken vessel. His mother’s scream was enough to jolt him out of his fear and Barry turned around, sprinting in the opposite direction. Achilles made no move to chase him, instead his hand grew bright with the surge of electricity that grew around it as he prepared his blast.

He aimed.

He charged.

He fired.

“No!”

Iris broke free of her corporeal state, burning Nora away with the intensity of her essence. She sped into the bolts trajectory and it struck her straight in the heart.

The world disappeared in a flash of light.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a little something sweet wrapped in a whole lot of mystery ❤️😍
> 
> HAVE FUN!
> 
> XOXO 😙😍💙

* * *

[Flashback]

_The steady thump, thump, thump of his heart seems to echo in the background of the inexplicably irritating ring in his ears. In the distance a single beat of thunder booms, announcing the storm that nears. Officer Joseph West closes and opens his eyes, shutting them tight then opening wide, in an attempt to expel the dizziness from his mind. With his coherence, somewhat intact, he feels the unmistakeable drip of liquid from the side of his head and without swabbing at it he can already tell its blood. Through the haze in his mind he tries to look around to get a sense of where he might be._

_There’s smoke everywhere._

_The potent smell of gasoline._

_His windscreen is cracked and bloody (probably the reason why his head hurts so much) and the airbag from his steering wheel is puffed out in front of him._

_Another rumble of thunder, this one much louder. The storm is near._   
_Joe closes and opens his eyes again, trying to push down a sudden wave of nausea. He might have a concussion. With much effort he gets his airbag out of the way and undoes his seat belt. He steps out of the car with wobbling legs, holding onto the sides of the damaged vehicle for support. His attention falls onto the car on its side across the road and his sense of duty as an officer kicks in._

_Disregarding his own injured state, Joe tries to run to the vehicle to offer his assistance. He barely manages to make it half way before his vision blurs out and the world starts spinning around him._

_His legs give in and he falls in the middle of the road just as the first drops of rain hit the tar. Joe tries to master up the strength to drag himself away but even that seems like an impossible feat. The nausea returns with a kick and his eyes seem to grow heavy. The sound of a distant blaring horn causes him to turn his head in the direction of on-coming traffic where he’s blinded by speeding headlights. The lights grow brighter and, helpless to do anything else, Joe utters a single word in prayer:_

_“Please.”_

_The subsequent event’s become an amalgamation of senseless pictures. He feels himself elevated to his feet, almost as if his body had been possessed. The lights reach him, surrounding him in a flood of brightness, before he feels himself soaring through the air. Was he hit? Is he dreaming? Is he dead?_

_He can’t tell for sure._

_He hears footsteps coming towards him and just before he loses consciousness there’s one thing that stands out in his surroundings…_   
_An overwhelming perfume. It smells like purity. Like life. Like his salvation._

_Like irises._   
…

[Present day]

Knock-knock

Crash!

“Iris!”

Joe’s holler sends his heart racing and without meaning too, Barry runs past the worried father in the general direction of the sound, leaving Joe behind to close the door he’d just rushed in from.

“Iris, are you alright?” he asks breathless as he reaches the pantry and finds her on the floor with a pained expression on her face. Her hand covering her ankle.

“Yeah, I think I might have twisted something,” she says. Without hesitating, he tiptoes his way around the shards of broken glass to where she sits, perched against a step ladder, and kneels before her.

“Here, let me help.” He offers, sliding his arm under her knees. Her eyes widen.

“What? Barry no, I’m alright really. I can walk, I might just need a little support.” She protests.

“Come on Iris, don’t be stubborn. Now, hold tight,” he says and before she can try to fight him, he stands, lifting her up in the process. Left without a choice, Iris wraps her arm around his neck and the adrenaline still pumping through his veins is enough help him ignore the moment his heart skips a beat.

“Ready?” he asks, speaking despite his dry mouth. She nods and looks up at him with a grateful yet bashful smile.

_Just remember to breathe Barry. Keep breathing._

He thinks to himself as he carries her out of the disaster zone. His entire body feels warm suddenly. Outside a harsh wind blows, taking with it the evidence of last night’s snow fall, yet despite the drop in temperature his entire body seems blanketed by a comfortable warmth. He knows that feeling all too well. It’s something uniquely hers. Something he only feels when he’s around her. When she holds him close. When she smiles at him across the room. Which is why when the cold gets too much to handle or when that hole in his heart becomes a little too pronounced, he finds refuge in her company.

“I’m sorry,” she says but Barry doesn’t get to ask her why because Joe’s worried question interrupts their, somewhat, intimate dialogue.

“Iris, are you ok?” He asks and she nods.

“Yeah I’m-”

“We should take her to the hospital.” Barry interjects and she looks at him helplessly.

“Barry, come on, you’re over-“

“Just to check if nothings broken. Please? I’m sure we’ll all feel much better being certain that it’s just a mild sprain.” He pleads and she can see the worry shining through his deep, beautiful pair of greens.

“Fine.” She gives in, “But if I get crutches the first thing I’m doing is hitting you with them,” she adds.

“Me? Why?” Barry asks, already walking her out the door with Joe laughing and shaking his head behind him. The little banter that’s about to ensue between the two, acts as a calming agent for his fatherly heart. If she’s teasing Barry, she’s fine.

“For interrupting my sentences. You know I hate that.” She squints her eye’s playfully at him and he tries to hide away his smile.

***   
“How is it that you always show up just as I get into trouble?” She asks as she hobbles into the house, on crutches that, despite her threats, she didn’t use against him.

“The question is: why are you always in trouble when I show up?” Barry answers as he walks in slowly behind her and locks the door. Joe was called into the station as Iris got her leg bandaged, so Barry (being the “good boy” that he is, with no ulterior motives what so ever), offered to escort her back home. It was just a sprain so a little rest and care would have her back on her feet in no time and Barry was going to ensure she got it all, even if he had to endure her whining and protesting about it.

“Hmm, good point. I think it’s a bad omen. We can’t be around each other.” she says with a straight face and Barry feels his heart drop to his feet. A small smile plays on her lips before she nudges him and says,

“Breathe Allen, I was kidding.”   
Barry lets out an awkward chuckle followed by a disoriented:

“Yeah, I- I knew that.”   
Iris chuckles and shakes her head as she hops her way over to the couch. Barry hurries ahead of her to prep the seat for her. He places a cushion on the coffee table for her to rest her foot and one against the back of the couch to support her back then helps her sit down.

“Can I get you anything? A snack, or something to drink perhaps?” He asks once she’s settled down.

“No thank you, I’m alright Bear and really, you don’t have to wait on me. I’ll be fine.”

“Cup a cocoa it is. I’ll be right back.” He answers before leaving the room in a hurry. He hides behind a wall for a second, waiting to see if she follows but to his relief the sound of the TV going on assures him that she’ll be staying put. In the kitchen, Barry puts the kettle on and pours some milk into a pot to warm it up. With his back to the door, he senses her presence the minute she walks into the room. Holding his breath, Barry waits for her to make a move by pretending to be overly interested in a sachet of instant hot chocolate. Her arms wrap around him from behind and he prays that she can’t hear his heart beat quicken through his back where she’s rested her cheek.

“Is everything ok,” he manages to ask and feels her nod on his back.

“I’m sorry,” she says again and this time he gets to pry her about it though he’s pretty sure he already knows the answer to it. 

“Sorry for what?”

“For putting you through so much trouble. I promise I don’t do it on purpose.”

“Iris,” he says sweetly while turning around in her arms. With his hands gently braced on her shoulders, he continues.

“I’ve told you this before and I’ll say it again. You don’t have to apologise. I love you and caring for you is how I show it.”

She smiles teary eyed and says those three words that he loves to hear but shatter him every time.

“I love you too Bear, thank you. I know I said it as a joke earlier but you really are always there when I need you and I appreciate that more than you’ll ever know.”

There seems to be a note of longing in her declaration but Barry brushes it off as a figment of his imagination. His mind, or his heart rather, tends to see things every time she tells him that she loves him. A side effect of his lack of courage to tell her that his love runs deeper than friendship, dooming him to the curse of having to hear her confess but never in the way he truly needs it. Still, he’ll take her love in whatever form he can get it.

“They say that how you meet a person defines your relationship with them, guess I did it to myself saving you from those horrible monkey bars.” He teases.

“I was short ok…”

“Was?” he laughs down at her and she slaps his chest playfully.

“…and the ground seemed way too far away for my little heart’s liking.” She justifies, recalling the afternoon they met…

_She was at the park and when her father stepped away to get her a hot dog, Iris decided to be a little adventuress and climb the monkey bars. She hated heights and had avoided the playground toy for as long as she could, yet for some reason, that bright afternoon, she talked herself into it and was determined to concur the beast. Her courage was loyal to her till she reached the midpoint. That’s when she made the horrible mistake of looking down. Fear paralysed her to the spot and before she could stop herself, a stream of tears rushed down her face._

_“Daddy!” she yelled. “Daddy, I’m scared!”_

_Something wrapped around her ankles and Iris looked down to see a blurry pair of little green eyes looking up at her worriedly._

_“It’s ok, I’ve got you. You can let go.” He said and she sniffled and blinked in disbelief._

_“Are-are you sure?”_

_“Mm-hmm” he nodded. “Let go, I’ll catch you.”_

_Iris called upon her courage one last time and closed her eyes before letting go. They both fell to the ground but Barry cushioned her fall, dislocating his shoulder in the process. She got off of him and he rose to a sitting position, his good hand flying to support his injured arm. Iris could see the pain in his teary eyes, yet somehow he rose beyond childish immaturity and didn’t let it show. Instead he asked if she was ok and she nodded._

_“Thank you.”_

_“You’re welcome,” he smiled with a grimace._

_“I’m sorry.” she sniffled, wiping away her tears._

_“It’s ok, it only hurts a li-” Barry stopped himself short but by then it was too late, he’d already made his confession._

_“Did you make a new friend baby girl?” her father asked as he made his way to her with two hot dogs in his hands._

_“Daddy, my friend’s hurt. Can you help him?”_

_Joe’s face immediately changed and he kneeled to Barry’s level to ask,_

_“What’s your name son?”_   
_“B-Barry.”_

_“Alright Barry, does your arm hurt?” Barry nodded slowly, afraid to move any more of his body._

_“Ok. I’m Joe and I’m a cop, I’m going to help you ok? Are your parents here?”_

_“No.”_

_“You’re here alone?”_

_Barry nodded again._

_“Liza left me here and said to stay put.”_

_“Is Liza your baby sitter?” Joe asked and Barry nodded yet again._

_“Ok, well look around for me Barry, do you see Liza anywhere?” Barry did as he was told then turned back to Joe and shook his head, ‘no’. Joe sighed out then recomposed himself and smiled up at Barry._

_“Do you have anyone’s number? Someone I can call? Your mom or dad maybe?”_

_“I know my dad’s number off by heart.”_

_“Ok good, why don’t you give it to me and I’ll give him a call?”_

_Barry recited his father’s cell phone number, just as he and his dad had practised many times before and Joe placed the call. A young woman answered._

_“Dr. Garrick’s phone, how may I help.”_

_“Hi. I’m Joe West I’m calling concerning Mr. Garrick’s son.”_

_“Barry?”_

_“Yes. He’s a new friend of my daughter’s and seems to have gotten hurt here at the park. His baby sitter isn’t around so if you could ask Mr Garrick to meet me at the hospital I would appreciate it.”_

_“That won’t be a problem, Dr Garrick is currently in surgery at CCH if you could bring Barry down I’m sure the doctor would thank you for it.”_

_At that Joe was flooded with a wave of relief._

_“Alright, thank you Ms...”_

_“McGee. Just ask for Nurse Tina when you get here.”_

_“Alright, I’ll see you soon then Nurse Tina. Thank you.”_

_A flash of recognition lit the boy’s eyes at the sound of her name and gave Joe a bit of reassurance that she can be trusted._

_“All right champ, I’m gonna take you to the hospital so that you can get that arm checked out and see your dad ok?” Joe asked and Barry nodded._

_“Thank you mister.” He said weakly while trying to smile._

_“Alright, let’s get you up. Iris, you take these so daddy can give Barry a hand ok?” Iris took the hot dogs from her father’s hands, with plans to share them with her new friend later as an ‘I’m sorry’ for getting him hurt. Barry winced in pain despite the support Joe offered but quickly tried to hide it away, looking over at Iris to see if she noticed. Joe held back a chuckle at the sight, the little man seemed to have developed a crush on his baby girl._

_“Ok let’s go, stay close you too and Iris watch out for Barry’s arm.”_

And the rest is history.

“What are you thinking about?” Barry asks, bringing her back from her trip down memory lane.

“Oh nothing much just... I think you’re right.”

“So you agree that you’re always getting into trouble?”

“No!” she hits him playfully again.

“I agree that you came into my life to save me. You’re like… my guardian angel.” She clarifies and Barry’s cheeks tint.

“Yeah,” he chuckles to hide his embarrassment even though the description fills his chest with a warmth that makes him think she might be right. He wasn’t planning on coming to see her, he was just going for a walk and somehow found himself in front of her house.

It’s no secret that he’s drawn to her. Part of him has been ever since the first time they met but the pull seems to become harder to ignore with every year that goes by with her in his life. It might seem crazy but sometimes he thinks their connected somehow. He just can’t quite put his finger on how.

Yet…   
  



	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while shippers. Its been a rough couple of months (should I say a rough year maybe?) but we're making it work! Hope you guys enjoy the chapter ❤️❤️❤️
> 
> Stay strong!!!!  
> XOXO  
> 💘💘

The cloud of smoke he causally blew out obscured his face and drifted up, clinging onto his hair to be washed off later along with the day’s job. With his back perched against a tree, a booted foot pressing against the trunk and his cigarette free hand resting in his jeans pocket, Eobard looked like your average man in his late twenties, enjoying a smoke on a slightly windy day.   
  
But that was far from the truth.   
From the corner of his eye, he trained his gaze on the unsuspecting pair that made their way up the stairs to the classic family home. The young man’s arm was wrapped protectively around the woman’s waist as she wobbled on her crutches. One step at a time.   
  
All he did was watch.   
  
Each vibrating giggle, each trembling step, each laboured breath. They finally arrive at the top and the young man briefly lets go of his companion to open the door.   
  
This was his chance. He could kill her and his world without anyone even noticing that he moved from his spot. His quickened heart rate ringed in his ears, exciting him further as he imagined the sound of the boys shattering heart while he held his secret love in his arms. Blood everywhere. The thought of the young man’s pain was thrilling in an almost euphoric sort of way.   
  
But it wasn’t time yet.   
  
He’d get his chance and the satisfaction of seeing that man squirm beneath his boot would be all the more delectable, the more he waits and plans. The door to the house closes and he takes one last drag of his cigarette before putting the bud out on the soil. Without a single glance back he puts stuffs his other hand into his jeans pocket and walks away in the opposite direction.   
The street is silent save for the occasional ruffle of leaves blown by the wind. A little ways down the street he stops in front of a modern building, the newest structure in the neighbourhood. In his mind’s eye he sees the clean cut, glossy design for what it really is: a cover up for the ruins of his past. The memories of that night are still vivid in his mind.   
  
_The suffocating stench of smoke in the air making his young eyes sting and water as the seductive heat of the flames encapsulated him like a mother’s warm embrace. The screams of his human care tackers as they choked out his name, searching in vain for a child that didn’t want to be saved. The smoke danced around him like a ballet of black swirling and twirling around the fire and he (as if to admire the danger more closely) stood in the middle of the chaos and lit another match. The flame glistened in his tear filled eyes and he smiled._  
  
 _A cold, malevolent smile._

 _Uncharacteristic of child._  
  
 _The reflection of the flame began to glow in his irises and, like an oil stain in the sea, the red glow spread through his eyes. It tainted what purity was left within him, consuming his sight and soul with a darkness thicker than the smoke that polluted the early morning sky._  
  
 _He was gone._  
  
 _His mother drew her last breath, his father’s heart had stopped much earlier, and with a smile that now showed victory, he let the empty box of matches fall to the floor before he himself laid down in the rubble. The floor was littered with used matches, his little masterpiece, and it was in this artful distraction that he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep._  
 _Slowly, the sun crawled its way onto the sky._  
  
 _The neighbourhood stirred, his handiwork was revealed and met with gasps of horror. Teary eyed friends, children being shielded behind their parents robes, dogs barking up a frenzy at the interruption of their morning walk, joggers out of breath though it was unclear whether it was from exertion or shock and all of them stood around the ash that was once a happy family home. Some felt sorrow, others felt guilt, and others quaked in fear._  
  
 _The culprit: was no-where to be found._  
  
His phone buzzes in his jacket pocket and he fishes it out and responds without taking his eyes away from the house he was looking at. He doesn’t have to look to see who it is, there’s only three people that ever call him.   
  
“We’re leaving. I’ve sent you the address. Don’t be late.”  
  
That’s all she says. No “hello”, no “how are you son?”, no cute nicknames or warm words. Those are saved for Edward, their most prised possession.   
  
But he’s used to it now, after a life time of communicating through orders and stern, soldier like replies, it’s become second nature. So as the line goes cold, he puts his phone away and gives the house one last look before he walks away.   
  
Another poor soul is about to die today. 

**Author's Note:**

> P. S. This chapter was labelled as a Prologue in all other platforms. Just wanted to clear that out.
> 
> P.P.S. Thank you for all the birthday wishes and questions! Sorry for the late replies🙏🏾💜


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